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Cuba's International Playa VeraderoBy Rick Millikan
More and more international tourists flock to this fun sun destination. Forty-four stylish hotels and luxury resorts dot Veradero’s 22-kilometer white-sand beach. Cuban-European and Canadian joint ventures have built resorts that accommodate distinctive needs. “There are well designed Veradero resorts to take children or make children!!” noted one British hotelier. Variety is the salsa of life!!
The venturesome often set out from Veradero to explore more of Cuba by car or bus. Although the roads are good, car rentals can be expensive and unnecessary. A better choice might be the air-conditioned public buses or guided excursion buses that regularly shuttle people into Havana. But even traveling to fascinating Havana seems unnecessary. Attractions and adventures surround Veradero. Just beyond Veradero’s discos and nightclubs is the birth place and world capital of the rumba, Matanzas. Not to be missed musicals are now presented nightly at its new, riverside open-air theater. Matanzas’ Tropicana dazzles and delights audiences with magnificently costumed dancers performing historic and folkloric rumba extravaganzas.
The rolling green countryside was a patchwork of pastures for Brahman cattle and small plots of beans, bananas and manioc. Marciano noted, “More vegetable crops are now being planted for our own needs. As the world market decreases its demand for sugar cane, cane will be grown mostly for rum.” Our stop in an orchard gave us a chance to sample fresh guavas and coconuts. After a brief stop to get the feel of Camarioca, a rural town, we traveled onward to enjoy a unique spelunking experience at Saturn Cave. A stairway led down to a large well lit limestone cavern. Yellow, pink, and aqua tinted stalagmites and stalactites surrounded a crystal clear lagoon. We plunged into the deep pool, exploring its perimeter. Our dusty souls refreshed and cleansed, we returned to the jeeps. Energized, we drove onward along the shore of Matanzas Bay to the Canimar River. There, jeeps were exchanged for zodiac rafts. Our river route snaked between steep limestone walls covered with tropical greenery. Vultures soared and swooped overhead. Snowy egrets and blue heron roosted above the riverbank. Our speedy rafts paused only long enough for a glance at bright red crabs scuttling about the porous ledge. Eventually docking, we climbed a grassy knoll to a palm thatched open-air shelter. There, eyed by turkeys cadging for scraps, we lunched on tasty grilled chicken and chips. Rancho “La Arboleda” was named for its beautiful grove of trees. We chose to flop onto hammocks hanging there, rather than opt for horseback riding. Swinging gently in the warm breezes seemed enough activity after lunch!
Sunny Veradero is surrounded by a multitude of inviting vacation possibilities. Its untainted and upbeat culture is very attractive. Is it any wonder that Veradero Beach has developed into such a popular exotic destination? Visitors from around the world are rapidly discovering this exhilarating and beautiful Caribbean destination. When you go, get ready to rumba!! Photographs By Chris Millikan Travel Considerations:Air Transat
LTI Veradero Beach Resort Matanzas Jeep Safari Seafari Cayo Blanco |
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During the first half of the
20th century, Playa Veradero was the Caribbean playground for America’s rich
and famous. After the Duponts bought half the Veradero peninsula for 4 cents
a square meter, other tycoons soon followed and purchased winter retreats.
Expropriated after the Cuban revolution, the Dupont’s mansion is now a small
hotel and restaurant; their lawn, a panoramic golf course. During
prohibition, many thirsty Americans visited Cuba. In nearby Veradero City,
behind a ghostly Model T get-away Ford, Al Capone’s stone beachfront home
sits vacant, reminding us of a bygone era. Although U.S. dollars remain
Cuba’s principal tourist currency, the U.S. embargo has shut out American
enterprise. Even so, 100,000 Americans visit Cuba annually.
Club Med pioneered the
all-inclusive package at Veradero. Many other resorts now offer guests that
same bargain. Most vacationers can freely enjoy restaurant meals, bar
drinks, night club entertainment, discos, sail boats, snorkel gear,
bicycles, health clubs, spas and an array of organized activities.
Playa Veradero has always
offered a great beach holiday. The warm crystal clear waters are ideal for
swimming. Kayaks, sailboats, sailboards, and pedal craft ply the calm sea.
Off shore snorkeling is possible, but the best coral and tropical fish are
accessed by a boat trip to one of the many quays (cayos). So we set sail
for nearby Cayo Blanco. After a pause to dive for lobsters, our chic French
catamaran arrived directly over a reef. Quickly, we set out on fun finned
flights, communing with nature. Time burbled on. Soon our cruise resumed
and we reached the palm fringed sandy tropical isle, Cayo Blanco. There, our
scrumptious buffet lunch featured succulent shrimp, snapper, octopus and
fresh lobster. Life can be very sweet! 
Veradero City’s handicraft
marketplaces celebrate Cuban culture. Cuban-African religion is introduced
through Yoruba god masks, which are guaranteed to safeguard homes, protect
travelers, promote fertility, and provide prosperity. Classic American 50’s
cars, which fill Cuban streets, are sculptured icons, enshrined in colorful
paintings, and embellished on T-shirts. In a country overflowing with
music, visitors may be inspired to dicker for guitars, bongos or conga
drums. And after seeing Che Guevara proclaim social platitudes on many
Cuban billboards and buildings, here the famous revolutionary prevails on
T-shirts, paintings and classy key chains. 
And at the edge of Veradero, a local jeep excursion
awaits those wishing to experience extraordinary off road adventures and a
deeper appreciation of Cuban culture. Choosing to set out in a convoy of
Suzuki four by fours, we rode over rough dirt tracks through sugar cane
fields and past little farms. At one juncture our lanky guide, Marciano,
pointed out a rusted oil derrick. “That’s an old Soviet oil rig. Drilling in
Veradero is now more efficient. A Canadian partnership supplies superior
technology that’s greatly increased oil production.” He brushed back his
hair, smiled and added. “Economically, Cuba has progressed more in the last
10 years than in the previous 40. When trade with the former Soviet Union
and East European countries collapsed, boosting tourism became a priority.
This Italian-Cuban Tour Company is typical of the new approach. Of our
eleven million people, one million Cubans now work in the tourist industry.”
On our return, Marciano
lashed the zodiacs together mid stream and dove in. Soon I canon balled into
surprising layers of cool fresh water, warm saltwater below. Through
thrashing and splashing, our laughter easily translated into a merry river
escapade!!